Outdoor Living: How To Safely Plant A Garden With Your Child

Gardening is a healthy way to let children learn about growing things. But before you till that soil, make sure you know the safe way to plant a garden with your kids. Try these tips for a fun and healthy gardening time.

Prepare Your Tools

Make sure that you use gardening tools that your children can safely use. Here are a list of tools you can use:

– Child-sized trowel

– Child-sized cultivator

– Child-sized rake

– Child-sized hoe

Also, avoid any chemicals that may come in contact with your children’s eyes, mouth, or skin.

Reserve A Corner

You don’t want to damage your prized plants. Reserve a small corner for your child to plant no matter how messy it can get. Let your child explore.

Let Your Child Choose

One fun way to plant is by letting your child pick what they’d like to plant. The most common plant selection for kids include pumpkins, potatoes, beans, and sunflowers. For a children’s garden, you can also include herbs and scents such as chives, mint, basil, violets, nasturtiums, and other edible flowers.

Attract Some Butterflies

Children and adults alike truly enjoy the sight of butterflies. You can attract butterflies into your own garden. Here’s are a few plants you can grow to attract beautiful butterflies:

– Sweet Rocket (produces white, violet, or purple flowers from May to August)

– Teasel (produces spiny flower-heads of pinkish purple from mid to late summer)

– Golden Rod (produces feathery, golden flower-heads in late summer and early autumn)

Keep Away From The Heat

This tip is important especially during hot months. Make sure that you and your child wear a hat, sunscreen, suitable clothing, and gumboots. Also, make sure to provide umbrellas or shade cloth. Don’t forget to hydrate as well to prevent heat stroke. However, if the weather is unbearable, might as well do gardening next time.